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fignify a Prophet, 1 Kings, Chap. xiii. There are other Names which are generally used for that Purpose: Such as Nabi, which fignifies one that has particular Converse and Familiarity with God, Gen. xx. 7. and Roch, 1 Chron. ix. 22 and xvi. 28. and Chofeh, 2 Sam. xxiv. 11. 1 Chron. xxi. 9. both which Words fignify Seers, as denoting Men that are accustomed to divine Vifions, or fupernatural Revelations.

But befides, there are fuch innumerable Expreffions in Scripture, which demonftrate a particular Revelation from .God Almighty, and a peculiar Intercourse of these holy Men the Prophets with him, that no reasonable Man can deny it, unless at the fame Time he denies the Authority of the holy Scripture, and makes it altogether an Imposture, Gen. xv. 1. The Word of the Lord came to Abram in a Vision, faying, Fear not, Abram, &c. Now what tolerable Senfe can be put upon these Words, but only that this was a particular Revelation of God to Abraham? You can't fay that this is only fome remarkable Saying of Abraham, and is therefore in the Jewish Phrafe called the Word of the Lord: For here is no Room for any fuch Kind of Metaphor. Here is a particular Dialogue of God and Abraham: God faid, Fear not, Abram, I am thy Shield, and thy exceeding great Reward. And Abram faid, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, feeing I go Seeing I go childlefs, and the Steward of my Houfe is this Eliezer of Damaf cus? Then, v. 4. is related the Reply of God Almighty: And behold the Word of the Lord came unto him, saying, This fhall not be thy Heir, but he that fall come forth out of thine own Bowels, &c. Now what can be more pofitive and exprefs of Abraham's immediate Revelation and Intercourfe with God, than this Relation? So again, Exod. ii. 5. The Revelation made to Mofes is related as exprefsly; God called unto him out of the midst of the Buss, and faid, Mofes, Mofes. Then follows the Anfwer of Mofes, And Mofes faid, Here am I. And the Lord faid, I have farely feen the Affliction of my People, &c. Come now therefore, and I will fend thee unto Pharaoh. And Mofes faid unto God, Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I fhould

Spirit of

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bring the Children of Ifrael out of Ægypt? And God faid, Certainly I will be with thee, &c. And after this Rate the Dialogue continues the full Length of the Chapter. Now if this be not a Relation of an Intercourfe with God, and a Revelation from him, there is no Senfe to be put upon any Words, tho' ever fo plain; there must be no Affent given to the literal Narrations of Thucydides, or Livy; but the Credit of both those Hiftories may as well be criticifed away as this.

So again, as for the other Prophets, when we are particularly told, that the Word of the Lord came unto them at fuch a Time, in fuch a Manner, in fuch a particular. Year of fuch a King's Reign, what can poffibly be meant lefs than that God revealed this to them? When they are commanded to take Rolls, and to' write, as Ifa. viii. 1. and Jer. xxxvi. 2. and the Prophecies fo commanded to be written, are there recorded; when every Prophecy begins with the Word of the Lord, or thus faith the Lord, when in fome of them are particular Interlocutions between God and the Prophet; if this be not Revelation, the Prophets who wrote thefe Writings, muft be the greatest Cheats and Impoftors in the World, in fo often pretending to it, when they had not the leaft Share of it. But it vexes one to spend Time to anfwer fo fimple an Objection, which is worth no one's Notice, but that the great Spinofa has taken fo much Pains in it; and other retailing Infidels after him, would feem to do fome great Matter with it.

3. Nor are your Criticifms upon the Hebrew Ruach, or Spirit, more folid, by which you would pretend that Scripture Word does not fignify Revelation or Infpiration, but fignifies only Wind, Life, Temper of Mind, and the like. But what an unreasonable Mistake is this? I do not deny but that Word in Hebrew has many Significations, as feveral other Words have in that narrow Language. But then on the other Side, there are a great many Places in the Bible, in which it can fignify only Inspiration or Revela lation. What think you of Gen. xli. 38. where Pharaoh fays of Jofeph, after he had interpreted his Dream, and

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prophefied of the Years of Plenty and Famine, Can we find fuch an one as this is, a Man in whom the Spirit of God is? Certainly by the Spirit of God here is meant the Infpiration of God, or there is no Senfe at all in it. And fo a gain, Numb. xxvii. 18. The Lord said unto Mofes, Take thee Joshua the Son of Nun, a Man in whom is the Spirit, and Lay thy Hand upon him; where by Spirit the Chaldee Paraphrafe interprets Prophecy. And what elfe can be meant by that Spirit of the Lord, 1 Kings xviii. 12. which carried Elijah from place to place, by which he did fuch mighty Miracles, and fo undauntedly uttered his Prophecies, but only a fupernatural Power of God which did continually attend him? And fo Ifa. lix. 21. God tells the Prophet, that it was his Spirit that infpired him with the Words that he spoke. Saith the Lord, my Spiric which is upon thee, and the Words which I have put into thy Mouth, &c. And fo feveral Times in Ezekiel, The Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, Ezek. xi. 5. and the Spirit entered into me, Chap. iii. 24. And often in the Book of Daniel, the Spirit of the holy Gods is faid to be in him, Dan. iv. 8. and ix. 5, 11, and 14. In short, divine Revelation is all over the Old Teftament, called by the Name of Spirit; and even that extraordinary Infpiration which was foretold by the Prophet Joel, to prevail under the Gospel, is called fo likewife: Iwill pour out my Spirit upon all Flesh, and your Sons and your Daughters fhall Prophefy, your old Men fhall dream Dreams, and your young Men fball fee Vifions, Joel ii. 28. Where you may particularly obferve, that the word Spirit is joined with Prophecy and Revela tion. And upon this Account the Holy Ghoft, which was the Giver of these prophetick Gifts, is in the New Teftament called Truμa anor, the Holy Spirit. And fo is divine Revelation among the Heathens called by the fame Name. As, Dii coeptis infpirate meis, and Infpirante

Deo.

It is plain, therefore, that by the word Spirit in Scripture, is frequently understood Divine Revelation, which is the Effect of the Operation of God's Holy Spirit, conyeying to the Minds of feveral prophetical Men, whom Q

God

God has been pleased to chufe many extraordinary Truths, conducible to the Good of his Church. Which is a Thing fo frequent and fo plain in Scripture, as is not to be bantered away by a little foolish Criticism; and is a Truth never to be fhaken, unless the Infidels have Force enough to overthrow the whole Body of the Scriptures.

Phil. Well, we will fee, Credentius, what we can do as to that Matter, fome Time or other. But in the meantime, methinks, you outshoot your felves a little in your Notions of Revelation. For you generally affert, that Revelation is caufed by a more immediate and fupernatural Application of the divine Spirit, to the Mind of Man, and fo does make known to it thofe extraordinary Truths; which indeed is only a Caft of the Jewish unphilofophical Ignorance. For when they, poor Wretches, could not understand the natural Caufes of Infpiration, they were presently for a deds and gavs. for calling in God to help out their forry Philofophy. Every Thing which was a little furprifing to them, they muft needs attribute to the immediate Act of God, they were every Moment making Mountains as well as Men of God; and according to their Philofophy, an equal Degree of the divine Power was requifite as well to make a great Hunter, as a great Prophet. But if they had understood better the natural Caufes of Infpiration, they would never have been guilty of fuch manifeft Abfurdities. For that Infpiration which the Jews, and the Chriftians after them, would needs have proceed immediately from God, is only the Effect of a vivid Imagination. For it is not to be thought that the Prophets had any more immediate Converfe with God Almighty, than other Men; but only they had warmer Heads, a quicker Imagination, and a more lively Fancy. Other Men's Imaginations and Dreams did not leave fuch deep and lafting Impreffions upon their Minds, but were quickly over, and they perceived that they were but Dreams and Fancies: but the prophetick Imaginators had fuch ftrong Fancies in their Heads, that were as clear to them as the Representations made by their outward Senfes, and they thought they

were

were as certain of what they fo fanfied, as of what they heard or faw.

And 'tis plain from Scripture, that ftrong Imagination only is the grand Requifite for Prophecy. And upon this Account, without doubt, the Jews will not allow Solomon the Gift of Prophecy; for he was a wife Man in whom good Senfe and a clear Judgment was prevalent, and therefore he was ill qualified for Prophecy, to which Fancy was chiefly requifite. So thofe famous Men in Scripture, who are renowned for their Prudence*, Heman, Darda, Kalchol, were not Prophets; but on the other fide, the Prophets were for the most Part out of the Country People, or Men of no Erudition; or fometimes Women, as Hagar, Abraham's Maid, had the Gift of Prophecy. For thefe People having but little Underftanding, had ftronger Paffions, and did abound more in Imagination, than Men who had better Senfe, and who governed their Fancies by their Reafon.

And that you may understand that Imagination was the Foundation of Revelation, be pleafed to confider, that their Prophecies differ'd only by the Diversity of their Imagination, which is a plain Argument, that the one was the Cause of the other. If the Prophet was of a merry chearful Temper, then Victories and Peace were revealed to him; becaufe Men of that Complexion are apt to entertain their Thoughts with fuch delightful Subjects. If he was a melancholy Man, then he prophefied only Wars and Judgments, and fuch other difmal Things, which are ufual to go along with fuch black Thoughts. And fo the like Diverfity, if the Prophet was addicted to Anger, or Grief, or Pity. And for the Proof of this there is a remarkable Inftance in Scripture, 2 Kings iii. 15. The three Kings of Judah, Ifrael, and Edom, are in a great Strait for want of Water for their Armies, they go and confult Elifba the Prophet, and he being very angry at the Sight of his Enemy, the King of Ifrael tells him, if it was not for the Prefence of Jehofophat King of

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